When bottled water first hit American shelves, it made an impact almost immediately. In 1976, Americans were only drinking 1.6 gallons per person, by 2002 it was up to 18.2 gallons, and now we’re averaging a colossal 29.2 gallons per person-more than beer or milk.
So why the dramatic increase in bottled water consumption? As far as we know water didn’t become any more pure or refreshing over the years. However, what we do know is that advertisers have spent sickly amounts of money to convince consumers that bottled water is good for the environment, healthier than tap water, and worth your money.
We took a look at some commercials and broke down some of the best bottled water scams strategies for making a splash.
Make it “natural”
Poland Spring’s “Born Better” tagline is an example of the most common strategy for selling bottled water. You show some panoramic shots of waterfalls, maybe some people kayaking, and imply that your bottled water is naturally better and more healthy than any other brand. Every bottled water source is “pristine” or “untouched” by man…and then bottled, shipped, and sold. Of course, nothing is more natural than an international corporation invading and taking resources from a local community. See how natural your tap water is by visiting by requesting our Free water quality analysis.
Make it “Eco-Friendly”
As more and more negative press surfaces against bottled water companies, the new strategy is to focus on how environmentally conscious your product is. Dasani’s “Plant Bottle” commercial has the Earth, some pure water, a plant growing… these are all images to link bottled water to nature and convey a positive environmental image. The bottle is 30% plant material, but that will make no difference when the majority of the bottles end up in landfills, the ocean, and other places they don’t belong. Massachusetts company Corporate Accountability International has been battling bottled water corporations for years, and you can help join in the fight.
Make it “fun”
A minute-long spot for Aquafina water equates the product to alcohol and implies the wild (yet refined) times that you will have consuming their specific brand of water. Everybody’s having a good time, you can party with your friends, show a little cleavage, and dance with a fish. You might even get thrown out of a window! Aquafina doesn’t bother talking about nature or filtration, but rather treats water like beer and shows a wild party. The tagline “The more water you drink, the better you feel” is a great way to sell bottles. Plus, you want to have as much fun as the people in the commercial, right?
Get a Celebrity/Famous Song
Or both. Smartwater is smart (the water itself is smart apparently?). They have fully embraced the “internet culture” of today and create a “smart”, “edgy” commercial for their product featuring Jennifer Aniston. The commercial features internet references, humor, puppies; anything to show how clever and funny and ahead of the game Smartwater is. Over two million views, almost three minutes long, and they only actually talk about the product for a few seconds. Smart Advertising.
Bonus: Be…. artsy?
This is coming from Fiji, a company that sets the record for dumb ads.
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